Pretending
by Intoxicated-Eyes
Summary: Rose overhears Lysander tell Roxanne that he isn't IN love with Dominique anymore. So this is for the '19 and maybe some more years later:NextGen' competition. I'm not sure if I like it enough to submit it yet. Please R&R, and tell me what you think!


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_"If I hold to your lips a little bit longer _

_If I want to stay inside would you think it strange?_

_And if I really wanna let it all go,_

_And not save anything for tomorrow;_

_And if tomorrow never comes at all..."_

_._

His skin was warm; like always.

It felt good against my own flesh. The heat we had created together seemed already to be leaving me. I used to hate how my petite body refused to keep any warmth.

Now I was thankful for the excuse to be close to him whenever possible.

He shifted beneath me, drawing a little whimper from my lips. I wasn't ready to get up and get dressed yet, wasn't ready to move. I nestled my cheek deeper into the hollow of his collarbone. If only there was a pause button for life; so that every moment could become a lifetime if someone so wished it. I wished it. For I knew that he had to leave soon, before Mother and Victoire returned home. I knew, but I refused to move my small body off of his. Refused...because I could feel him second-guessing every second between us.

"Lysander...?"

.

_"Kiss me like it's the last time,_

_Love me like it's the first time._

_I'll kiss you like it's the last time,_

_And I'll love you like it's the first time._

_I bet you can't wait 'til the next time,_

_But if there isn't a next time..."_

.

_"Maybe just... Don't cry, don't cry;_

_Maybe just... Don't cry, don't cry."_

_._

Lysander Scamander. The second-born twin of Luna Lovegood and Rolf Scamander. The brother of Lorcan Scamander. The one and only love of Dominique Weasley.

Of me.

I was Dominique Weasley; frail, petite, half-veela, Dominique Weasley. With the faceful of thick makeup. And the long, translucent waves of hair, a red sheen to its pale blonde color. Almost a carbon copy of my mother, elder sister, and aunt. Almost.

For the record...

I hated the makeup I smeared on everyday.

My hair was a bother; it was too long and girly for me. And no one could decide what color to call it. I wanted so badly to cut it off. Short. But I wasn't aloud.

He was Lysander Scamander; tall, slender, smooth, Lysander Scamander. With the flawless skin, undeniably more perfect than my own. And the pale, moonlight-colored hair that he always wore too long, always a bit past his chin.

He was beautiful.

He was mine.

But how? And...

...For how much longer?

My mind raced in discreet terror as I snuck a glance at his face; his eyes were open. Two orbs of silver focused on the pink ceiling of my bedroom. Oh how I hated pink. Or maybe it was the feeling in the pit of my stomach that I hated.

The feeling that what Rose had told me was...true...

_._

_"I learned that it's just not worth fighting over little things;_

_Like when I used to wait all night just to say 'I'm sorry, I love you.'_

_Tell me what would there be left to say? Nothing._

_What if God wants to take me away?_

_Oh, you better..."_

_._

"Dominique..." My cousin had said to me, "There is something you need to know..."

"What is it?" A headtilt; such a naive gesture.

I had no idea what kind of hurt was coming.

"Well..."

It was unlike Rose Weasley to hesitate. Usually she just came right out with what was on her mind.

Like her mother.

"Well what, Rosie?..."

"It's Lysander."

Who knew a girls heart could jump so quickly from a girls chest to the back of her throat.

"Lysander?"

She had nodded, and begun to chew on a copper curl. Nervous. A nervous Rose was never good.

"Lysander...he... I heard him talking to Roxanne, Dominique... I heard him tell her that he..."

_._

_"Take me like it's the last time,_

_Love me like it's the first time._

_I'll kiss you like it's the last time,_

_And I'll love you like it's the first time._

_I bet you can't wait 'til the next time,_

_But if there isn't a next time..."_

_._

_"Maybe just... Don't cry Don't cry;_

_Maybe just... Don't cry, don't cry."_

_._

I banned the memory from my mind once more. Lysander must have felt my shudder; he was looking at me now instead of the ceiling. I forced a smile. He smiled back. It was next to hollow.

Or was I only imagining it?

Rose never told lies though. Especially not to me. Especially not about my Lysander.

My Lysander? Could I even still say that? Could I even still call him...

...Mine?

The silence that wrapped around us was making my heart ache. But I was afraid of what we would say if we broke it. I was afraid to ask about what he had said to Roxanne. What would he tell me? The truth? A lie? Would I even want to hear the truth? Would he give me neither?

Why was I worrying? It couldn't be true. We...we were in love!

**I** was in love...

_._

_"And if I only get just one thing to do,_

_Then you know I wanna give the world to you._

_So, baby, won't you look me in the eye and pretend;_

_And tell me that you know you're never never, ever gonna go away._

_Just in case..."_

_._

I felt my stomach wrench, felt my eyes burn as I held back the tears that had fought me all day.

'I do love her...

I don't think I am **in** love with her anymore.

I'm **not** happy...

Nothing makes me happy anymore...'

I wanted to scream, wanted to run, wanted to cry, wanted to hide; I wanted...to stay right here. Forever.

But a forever in his arms wasn't going to happen.

I knew all along, I knew it was far too wonderful to be real.

To last.

A little sigh shook my shoulders. Vibrant gray eyes looked down at me in question.

Even now, he was so beautiful. Oh, how I wanted to taste his lips and forget about all of this.

_._

_"Kiss me like it's the last time,_

_Love me like it's the first time._

_I'll kiss you like it's the last time,_

_And I'll love you like it's the first time._

_I bet you can't wait 'til the next time,_

_But if there isn't a next time... _

_Oh, there might not be a next time..."_

_._

_"So maybe just... Don't cry, don't cry;_

_Maybe just... Don't cry, don't cry."_

_._

"You don't have to pretend anymore, Lysander."

"Pretend what?"

"That you're in love with me...that you're happy..."

Silence.

"You don't have to keep pretending for me."

I took a deep breath. And held it.

So afraid that if I let it out, the tears would finally fall.

"Can't I keep pretending for me, Dominique...?"

And that was that.

And we went on pretending.

_._

_"You know you wanna love me baby;_

_Don't fight it._

_Just kiss me like it's the last time,_

_Just kiss me like it's the last time..."_

_._


End file.
